West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-07-22
PROHIBITION DISCUSSION.
Copied from the wensburg Herald.

IerSuanJ 10 proposition OF tue
w. Va. DEMOCRAT, we copy its edi-
tOrial, but it is proper to say that
our understanding was, we were TO
discuss the Prohibitory Amendment
and not "Local Option VS.. Prohibit
tiOn," or any other misleading topic.
There is no antagonism between To-
cal option and prohibition that need
be discussed at this time, both be-
ing mere methods designed to reach
the same end-the suppression of
the liquor evil-though the latter is,
in our opinion, preferable, because
more positive and direct of applica-
ton, and therefore more likely to be
effective than the former.
The question before the public is
simply, is it, or is it not, advisable
to vote for the PrOhibitory Amend
ment when the proper time comes:
The Amendment submits TO vote
Of the people whether the Constltu-
tiOn shall be so amended as to for
bid the manufacture and sale Of in
toxicating liquors within this State?
As a measure for accomplishing
the end proposed, prohibition now
seems to be accepted almost by COM
mon consent not rs the only but as
the best yet devised.
The DEMOCRAT, although opposed
to the amendment, does not give any
objection. vet it has been so long be-
fore the public and been so exhaus-
lively considered that one would
think that an objector so able would
have no difficulty in formulating ob .
jectiOns. The fact that he does not,
is pretty good evidence that he can
not with much confidence.
1t, and it alone, so far as temper
ance is concerned, is to be voted up
on in 1883, and all side issues are
irreyelant and only calculated to di-
vert attention from the main ques-
tion and thus make mischief.
All that there is in the local OPP
ton" idea of the DEMOCRAT, even
supposing it was up to be voted upon,
is chat it is not proper for"one county
TO regulate the purely local affairs Of
another county 'anda very little re-
llection Will satisfy any one that that
ali, is very little. In the first place,
the liquor business cannot be held to
be purely local affair" in the sense
that the making of roads, the build
ing of bridges or the selection of
county officers is, and therefore the
argument is baseless to begin with.
The liquor evil is a very general af
fair concerning all the people of the
State, and of the United States US
well, and so far as law goes, can only
be regulated by general concert
among different communities and
whole classes Of people.
This is 4 radical defect Of local
option. One county may vote to re-
fuse license and it only makes the
temptation the stronger for the coun
ty alongside, to have license, inSO-
much as thereby they make sure of
the business Of the other county as
we'll as of their own. Thus, no Ii
cense becomes comparatively inefec
tive in the temperance county and is
rather made to work to the advant
age Of the saloon keepers Of q con
tiguous county, which also gets the
doubtful benefit of the public reve-
nue. derived from the trade.
To particularize for the benefit of
our friend. Here We are in Brooke
and Hancock, small counties, whose
population mt least until of late years
has been agricultural, alongside the
populous county of Ohio, with its |
city of 10000 people and couple of
hundred of liquor shops more or less
patrcnize6 and supported by the
respectable business interests for the
revenue and business derived from
the liquor trade. What is the good
of mo license" here in WellSburg,
situated rs we are, when 4 Wells
burg man can in thirty minutes run
down to Wheeling and fill his skin
full of beer and bring enough whis-
key home in his grip-sack to make
half his neighborS drunk, compared
to what it would be, if no license
prevailed there rs well as here. Can
we be blamed for wanting to disarm
our neighbor of the ability to harm
US, or can any fault be found with
a lega, restriction that will put all
on an equality and abolish for all,
what ali hold is an acknowledged
evil? 1t is not one county regulating
another, but a majority regulating
all.
This difficulty has always been one
of the greatest impediments to the
temperance cause with which, here
in Brooke county, we have had to
or course it is the same
in other communities similarly loca-
ted. This may be said to be our un-
fortunate accident Of location, but
the trouble is not in accident, the
principle is wrong. Local option is
not only faulty. by reason Of its lack
of adaptability, and its liability to
evasion, but it is radically unsound
in principle and detectivein its logic.
1t begs the entire question of wheth
er one man may rightfully compel
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